Vehicle operated cattle gate



F. w. BOSCH 2,671,976

VEHICLE OPERATED CATTLE GATE March 16, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 4, 1951 III {III 1 1111111.. illi!!! Frederick n. Bosch INVENTOR.

BY (My 3 M510 March 16, 1954 2,671,976

VEHICLE OPERATED CATTLE GATE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 4, 1951 Frederick W. Bosch INVENTOR. wa BY w Attorney:

March 16, 1954 w, BOSCH 2,671,976

VEHICLE OPERATED CATTLE GATE Filed June 4, 1851 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Frederick W. Bosch IN VEN TOR.

March 16, 1954 w, BOSCH 2,671,976

VEHICLE OPERATED CATTLE GATE Filed June 4, 1951 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 R Q Q a Q 3 n \w V n Y Freder/ck W. Bosch 8% Q I; INVENTOR. o m k :3 m n BY m a a a Auornqs Patented Mar. 16, 1954 UNITED STATES PTNT OFFICE VEHICLE OPERATED CATTLE GATE Frederick W. Bosch, Worland, Wyo.

Application June 4, 1951, Serial No. 229,743

Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in vehicle operated cattle gates, of the horizontally pivoted vertically swingable type.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a mobile gate, of the type indicated, for moving into different locations and which is equipped for easy opening and constructed and arranged for self closing with a retarded action so as to give a vehicle ample time to pass through the gateway before the gate is closed.

Another object is to provide a gate of the character and for the purposes above set forth which is adapted to be both unlatched and opened by a vehicle approaching the same and which is comparatively simple in construction, foolproof, and inexpensive to install and manufacture.

Still another object is to provide in such a gate for overcoming wind resistance to opening and closing movement of the gate.

Other and subordinate objects, within the purview of my invention, together with the precise nature of my improvements, will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claims are read with reference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of my improved gate in the preferred embodiment thereof with the gate closure in gate closing position;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the same;

Figure 3 is a view in side elevation with the gate closure swung into complete gate opening position;

Figure 4. is a view in side elevation drawn to a larger scale, with parts in section, for better illustration of the details of the gate, the gate closure being shown in gate closing position;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in plan of the same;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view in side elevation, partly in transverse section, illustrating in full and dotted lines the operation of the gate closure and other parts in the opening movement of said closure, and

Figure '7 is a fragmentary view in horizontal section taken on the line 'E--l of Figure 4 and illustrating the manner in which the rotor section of the gate closure, and the vane of the closure counterbalancing means are mounted on the rock shaft carrying the gate closure.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, my improved gate comprises a gate closure I mounted, as presently described, on an elongated rectangular skid carriage 2 to extend transversely of said carriage in the approximate center thereof.

The skid carriage 2 is particularly designed for sliding over the ground to dispose the gate closure I across a road 3, or the like. As illustrated, the skid carriage 2 comprises a pair of longitudinal, front and rear side runners 4, 5 preferably of tubing, and which are secured together parallel by cross beams 6, l at the ends thereof and by a pair of intermediate similar cross beams 8, 9 upon opposite sides of the transverse center of said carriage 2 and contiguous opposite sides of the gate closure l.

The gate closure l is mounted on the skid carriage by the following means. A pair of upright posts 59, H are suitably mounted at the ends of the skid carriage 2 on the beams 6, I, and a similar post 52 is suitably mounted on the intermediate cross beam 9, said posts being aligned in the longitudinal center of the skid carriage.

The gate closure 1 comprises a rear end, skeleton wheel, rotor section I? including a hub [4, said hub being fixed by a set bolt IE on a rock shaft l6 extending longitudinally of the skid carriage 2 and being suitably journaled on the tops of the posts if), M, 2 to dispose the gate closure in approximately the transverse center of the carriage and provide a horizontal closure supporting shaft. The gate closure I, in addition to the described skeleton section 83, comprises a c-shaped rear end, balance weight ll extending around one-half of said section i3 and suitably fixed to the rim 58 thereof and to some of the spokes E9 of said section. The balance weight I! is preferably formed of concrete, or the like. A pair of tubular arms 29 extend from the ends of the balance weight I1 and tangentially from the rim 5% of said section 53 coplanar with said section and are suitably fixed thereto. The ends of a U-shaped closure frame 21, and which carries mesh wire 22, extend into said arms 20 and are suitably fixed therein by cross pins, as at 23. Obviously, the arrangement provides for removal of the closure frame 2| and replacement, as may be desired.

A wire stretcher bar 24, to which the mesh wire 22 is suitably connected is slidably mounted by end sleeves 25 on the arms 20 for adjustment along said arms to stretch the mesh wire. Draw bolts 26 connect the stretcher bar 24 with a cross connecting bar 2? extending between the arms 23, said bolts being operative for adjusting said bar 24 as will be manifest. Suitable transverse bars 28 connect opposite sides of the closure frame 2i for reinforcing purposes. 7

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the gate closure I, in the gate closing position thereof, extends across the road 3 with its front end 29 confined 2; between pairs of keeper plates til on a gate post SI. In this position of the gate closure l, the balance weight ii is disposed on the side of the axis of the rock shaft it opposite said closure frame 2!, so that said weight ll balances said closure frame 2! for easy swinging of the gate closure i into gate opening and closing positions respectively. A barbed wire 32 attached to lugs 33 on the closure frame tops said frame when said gate closure II is in gate closing position to act as a" guard serving to prevent cattle from jumping the gate closure.

Latch mechanism is provided for latchin the ate closure in gate closing position comprising the following. A latch bar 34 is pivoted at one end, as at 35, to one of the arms 26 which is lowermost when the gate closure is in gate closing position, said latch bar 36 swinging downwardly, under the influence of gravity, as

said closure I nears closing position, and when said. closure is in closing position having its free end disposed behind a front longitudinal abutment bar 36 on th skid carriage 2 and suitably secured to the crossbars t, 9, the arrangement being. such that said abutment bar 353 by engagement with the free front end of said latch bar 3 blocks upward swinging of the gate closure i towards opening position. The latch bar 3:3 is swingable upwardly, in the closing position of said. gate closure, clear of the abutment "it into unlatchin position. A stop lu 3? on said lower arm 20? limits such swinging of t e latch bar for a' purpose presently seen.

Vehicle operative means is provided for unlat'ching the latch bar 34 and then swinging the gate'closure ltowards gate opening position, and which will now be described. A pair of arms 40 are provided at the opposite ends of the front side runner 5 and aresuitably attached in transverse. position relative to the skid carriage 2 to the'ends of a shaft 4i rotatably extended through said runner 4 so that said arms ii) are vertically swlngable on the skid carriage 2 transversely thereof into horizontal lowered ground engaging position, or, into upstanding raised position and fora purpose presently seen. In the lowered position thereof, said arms ll] extend across and lie flat on the road 8 on opposite sides of the gate closure I a distance substantially greater than the over-all length of the usual road vehiclea A pair of sleeves formed of pipe, are rockably mounted on the rock shaft is upon opposite sides of the gate closure 5. A pair of right angularly related latch bar lifting and sleeve restoring levers as, its, respectively, are suitably fixed to the inner end of each sleeve .2, said levers 44' inclinin upwardly and forwardly of the skid carriage 2' and said levers 4.3 inclining downwardly and forwardly of said carriage, when the gate closure is in gate closing position. As will be seen, the pairs of levers 33, d5, lie upon opposite sides of the gate closure 5.

A pair of coil springs yieldingly connect the upper ends of the sleeve restoring levers A l to the before mentioned connecting bar 2'5, as at 153', 44", and a pair of chains 4% connect the front ends of the latch bar lifting levers 33 to the free end of the latch bar the arrangement being such that, upon initial rockin movement of the sleeves 42, in one and the same direction from a'normal restored position, said levers 43 will first lift the latch bar 3d into releasing position to unl'atch the gate clos re I and engage said latch bar 3'4 with its stop lug 31, while levers 43 on the sleeve move idly rearwardly and stretch the sprin 45 attached thereto until said latch bar as is released. At this point, further rocking of either sleeve 42 in the same direction will cause the latch bar as through engagement with its stop lug 3? to swing the gate closure I upwardly toward gate openin position. The latch bar 3 3, chains it and stop lug 3'5 form lost motion means operatively connecting said sleeves "2,2 to the gate closure i with a delayed action.

A pair of pull chains ii are attached, as at 68 at one end to the free ends of the arms 4%) to extend across the road 3 and under the sleeve 42 when said arms are lowered, the other ends of th chains 4i being slidably connected to a pair of skeleton, substantially V-shaped cranks 48 extending, in the closin position of said closure I, and the normal position of the sleeves d2, upwardly and rearwardly in vertical planes from the outer ends of the sleeves ll! to which said cranks are attached at One end. The other end of each crank s3 is fixed to a spacer and abutment 43 interposed between said end and the sleeve 52 and suitably fixed to said sleeve. The chains l'i are sufficiently slack to permit a vehicle to ride over and to press the same to the road 3 so as to exert pull against the cranks AB and swing the gate closure l upwardly from cl0s ing position with suiiicient momentum to swing into completely opened substantially horizontal position.

A rectangular, vertically swingable vane 5i having a normal horizontal position extends longitudinally of and opposite one sleeve G2 at the side of said sleeve opposite the gate closure frame 2; and serves a purpose presently explained. The vane is mounted rigidly at one end. on the balance weight H by an angle bar 52 bolted, as at 53, to said vane and, as at 54, to said weight, the other end of the vane 5| being bolted, as at 55, to an angle bar 55 formed on a sleeve '5? fixed on the rock shaft It by a pin 58. An end opening in the van 5! accommodates one of the cranks as for a reason presently seen. A weight 653 is suspended from the sleeve 2 that is opposite the vane 5!, and by a chain ii! fastened into a loop freely slidable around said sleeve and which may be lengthened or shortened for a purpose to be explained.

On the side of the skid carriage 2 opposite the road 3, an upright vane is mounted for horizontal swinging movement by means of transverse bars 5% bolted thereto, as at [31, and hinged, as at 63, to an upright $53 rising from a plate Ill bolted, as at if to an extension '5! on the cross beam 6. A. pull chain it operatively connects the van to the vane 5 The functions of the vanes 53 i t5 will presently be explained.

Referring now to the operation of the invention. a vehicle, not shown, approaching the gate closure i from either side thereof will ride over the chain l! at that side of closure and depress the chain. flat against the anchor bar l!) therefor, or against the road 3, as the case may be, thereby causing the chain to exert a sudden pull on the crank A8 to which it is connected. As best shown in Figure 4, in the gate closing position of the gate closure i the ends of the chains ll which are attached to the cranks it slide downwardly, under the influence of gravity, against the spacers and abutments as so that pull exerted by said chains will be efiective against the cranks 38. Therefore, initial pull of either chain il will initially rock the sleeve 42 to which the chain is connected by the crank 48 and so as to swing the gate closure 2! counterclockwise as viewed in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6. However, such initial rocking of the sleeve 2-2 will first swing the latch lifting lever 33 rearwardly sufiiciently to release the latch bar and thereby unlatch the gate closure During this operation, the related one of the restoring levers it will be swung upwardly and rearwardly by said sleeve :12 to increase the tension of its connecting spring i5. i he latch bar through engagement with its stop lug 3? will then swing said gate closure I upwardly with sufiicient momentum to cause it to swing through substantially 180 into horizontal open position in which it extends away from the road 3, as shown in Figure 3. As the gate closure l swings upwardly the vane 5| swings downwardly and forwardly from normal position retards such swinging of said closure by wind resistance against said vane until said closure has swung through substantially an arc of 45 as shown in dotted lines in Figure 6. When said closure I swings into substantially vertical position, the vane 51 picks up and lifts the weight so so that after said closure I swings another 45, substantially, the weight BI! overbalances said closure I to overcome its momentum as it reaches completely opened position and causes it to swing slowly back into its closing position for latching in a manner which will now be clear. As will be seen, the gate closure I is counterbalanced toward gate closing position through substantially 90 of return movement, after which the vane 5I releases the weight BB and acts through wind resistance against the same to retard closing movement of said closure I. Normally the vane 65 is set by hand broadside to heavy wind blowing in a direction to retard closing movement of the gate closure 1 so that it will be swung by such wind rearwardly and through its chain connection to the vane 55 assist in swinging said closure 5 closed by pulling on the vane 5I. A counterweight "i5 is slidably mounted on the lower front end portion of the closure frame 2| for setting by a set screw it to variably counterbalance the closure I as an aid in preventing sudden closing of said closure. By shortening or lengthening the chain cl, counterbalancing of the gate closure I may also be varied, as occasion may require. A particular feature of my invention is that after the gate closure reaches substantially vertical position when swinging open, the ends of the pull chains ll may slide downwardly on the cranks 48 so that upward and forward swinging of said cranks during further opening movement of said closure i will not tighten the chains 4'! and thereby lift the same off the road 3 before the vehicle has completely passed over said chains. When it is desired to slide the skid carriage 2 for moving the gate closure I from one position to another, the arms may be swung upwardly and fastened in any suitable manner to said carriage in upswung out of the way position.

The springs and sleeve restoring levers 4t restore the sleeves 42 to normal position during final closing movement of the gate closure so that the latch bars 34 may assume latching position and the chains 41 will be held up for depressing by vehicles.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clear understanding of my invention, without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification, without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

described the invention, claimed as new is:

1. In combination, a carriage adapted for pcsitioning at one side of a road, a gate closure for closing and opening the road, means supporting said closure on said carriage for vertical swinging into opening and closing position including horizontal closure supporting shaft to said gate and journaled for rocking by swinging of said closure from closing position, a sleeve roc able on said shaft, means operatively connecting said sleeve to said closure to swing said closure from closing position upon rocking of said sleeve, vehicle operative means extending across the road and operativeiy connected to said sleeve to rock said sleeve upon operation of said vehicle operative means, a member fixed to said closure and shaft and swingable from a normal position by said closure and shaft upon swinging of closure from closing position, and a weight suspended from said sleeve in the path of swinging of said member and spaced from said memher when said member is in normal position for delayed action lifting by said member to counterbalance said closure toward closing position.

2. The combination according to claim 1, and a wind pressure responsive vane pivotally mounted on said carriage and connected to said member to return the member to normal position and thereby swing said closure toward clos ing position.

3. In combination, a carriage adapted for pcsitioning at one side of a road, a gate closure for closing opening the road, means supporting said closure on said carriage for vertical swinging into opening positions including a journaled horizontal roch shaft fixed to said closure, a sleeve rockable on said shaft, vehicle operative means extending across the road and operatively connected to said sleeve for rocking said sleeve by operation of said vehicle operative means, and lost motion means operatively connecting said sleeve to said closure with a delayed action for swinging said closure into opening position by rocking of said sleeve.

l. The combination according to claim 3, said last named means comprising a lug on said 0105- ure, and a closure latching bar pivoted on said closure and swingable on its pivot from latching position into engagement with said lug.

5. The combination according to claim 3, said vehicle operative means comprising a horizontal road engaging arm extending laterally from said carriage across the road, a flexible pull member extending across the road in suspended position with one end fixed to said arm, and a skeleton crank fast on said sleeve and having the other end of pull member slidably connected thereto to create a slack in said flexible member after rocking of said sleeve.

FREDERICK W. BOSCH.

what is References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 998,311 Warden et a1 July 18, 1911 1,628,703 White May 17, 1927 1,769,195 Tenbrool: July 1, 1930 1,835,430 Ritchie Dec. 8, 1931 

